Clematis plant named ‘Evipo076’

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, red-purple flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo076’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematisplant which originated from a controlled crossing between the femaleseed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, anun-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2001 and the resultingseeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment inGuernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named‘Evipo076’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parentand male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seedparent has light pink tepals while the new variety has red-purpletepals. The male seed parent has violet tepals while the new variety hasred-purple tepals.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to createa new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualitiessuch as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant red-purple flowers;    -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for        container culture;    -   3. Improved disease resistance; and    -   4. Abundant flower production on new growth.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that werein commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantiallyachieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo076’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison intheir clematis development program in the Channel Islands, UnitedKingdom in 2002. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo076’ by means ofvegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed byMogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summerof 2002. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo076’ are true to type andare transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo076’.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings are an open flower,tepals detached, reproductive flower parts, and flower bud.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 2 is a bare stem showing development offlower buds and leaves. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo076’, as observed inits growth throughout the flowering period in Marion County Oreg.Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 litercontainers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may varyunder different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, andclimatic conditions. Color references are made using The RoyalHorticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except wherecommon terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematisvariety Evione ‘Evione’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.10,222 are compared to ‘Evipo076’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo076’ Evione ‘Evione’ Flower diameter 10 cm 13 to 18 cmTepal upper surface Purple Group N78C Purple Group 76A after openingwith a central bar of Red-Purple Group 71A Tepal count 6 6 sometimes 8

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

-   Blooming habit: Recurrent. The natural flowering period is generally    from June to September.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—Normally 20 mm in length. Bud diameter is 12 mm.        -   Bud form.—Elliptic, broad at the base.        -   Bud color.—At ¼ opening Yellow-Green Group 145C.        -   Texture.—Highly pubescent.-   Pedicel:    -   -   Surface texture.—Smooth.        -   Length.—On average 60 mm in length with 2 mm diameter.        -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 145C.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.-   Receptacle:    -   -   Surface texture.—Lightly pubescent.        -   Shape.—Broad funnel.        -   Size.—2 mm (h)×2 mm (w).        -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 145C.-   Flower arrangement:    -   -   Location on vine.—New and old growth only.        -   Borne.—Along the length of the stem at terminal and axillary            buds.-   Flower bloom:    -   -   Size.—On average, flowers are 100 mm in diameter and 25 mm            in depth.        -   Profile.—Open flowers are flat.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain up to 10 days on            the plant.-   Tepals:    -   -   Tepal color.—The upper surface is Purple Group N78C with a            central bar of Red-Purple Group 71A. The lower surface is            Purple Group 76A at margin with a central bar Yellow-Green            Group 145B.        -   Quantity.—Normally 6 tepals.        -   Size.—60 mm in length by 50 mm wide.        -   Shape.—Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is            rounded, slightly acute. The tepal base is typically acute.        -   Apex recurvature.—Slightly curved.        -   Tepal cross section.—Flat.        -   Margins.—Entire. Moderate undulations of margin.        -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off clean from the plant.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Arrangement.—Open.        -   Pollen.—None observed.        -   Anthers.—Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Greyed-Orange Group            176A. Quantity: On average, 30.        -   Filaments.—Color: Green-White Group 157A. Length: 10 mm.        -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 15.        -   Stigmas.—Inferior in location relative to the length of the            filaments and the height of the anthers.        -   Styles.—Color: Yellow White Group 158A. Length: 11 mm.

PLANT

-   Plant form: Climbing.-   Plant growth: Moderately vigorous.-   Size: Seasons growth attains 100 to 150 cm in height. Average spread    is 50 cm.-   Stems:    -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 145C. Mature            stems are Greyed-Purple Group N186C.        -   Internodes.—On average, 10 cm between nodes.        -   Length.—Normally 50 cm from the base of the plant to the            flowering portion of the stem.        -   Diameter.—Normally 3 mm.        -   Texture.—Mature stems are ribbed.-   Plant foliage:    -   -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous.        -   Arrangement.—Trifoliate.        -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are normally 105 mm (l)×85 mm            (w). Leaflets are normally 55 to 70 mm (l)×40 to 55 mm (w).        -   Abundance.—On average 1 leaf per 10 cm of stem.        -   Leaf color.—Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group N144A.            Juvenile lower Yellow-Green Group N144A. Mature upper            Yellow-Green Group 146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group            147B.        -   Stipules.—Absent.        -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 50 mm in length by 2 to 3 mm            diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group N186C.        -   Petioloule.—Size: Normally 25 mm in length by 2 mm diameter.            Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group N186C.        -   Leaflet shape.—Generally elliptic. The base is rounded. The            apex is acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Surface.—The upper side is smooth. The lower side is smooth.        -   Thickness.—Average.        -   Glossiness.—Moderately glossy.-   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the    species. However the variety is more tolerant to clematis wilt,    Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis known to the inventors.-   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6.-   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for    climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat    zone 7.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named‘Evipo076’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to itsabundant red-purple flowers with good keepability, attractive longlasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering underglasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttingsin pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable fordistribution in the floral industry.